Mentors’ tips on Presi campus

A STAFF REPORTER

The Presidency mentor group will suggest how to the build the university’s second campus at Rajarhat in its third report, to be submitted to the chief minister in August, chairman Sugata Bose said on Sunday.

The state government gave a 10-acre plot behind Hidco Bhavan to the university in June.

“The emphasis of our third report will be on how to build the second campus. What will be retained in the old historic campus and the facilities that can be built on the new campus will be discussed in the report,” said Bose.

He said the new campus should have modern science laboratories but did not spell out which departments would be shifted to Rajarhat.

“It will be easier to build state-of-the-art science laboratories in Rajarhat. But we will never want the science and arts departments to be separated. Students from both faculties must interact,” he said.

The mentors are speaking to architects and other experts to estimate the cost of setting up the new campus, which will be incorporated in the third report. It will also discuss the action taken on the recommendations in the first two reports, since the group’s “role is also to monitor”, said Bose.

The group will have to submit five reports to the government.

According to Bose, the 10-member group was happy with the faculty recruitment so far. Forty-four teachers, including 15 professors, have been appointed by the university.

The appointment of four more teachers — for the economics department — is expected to be announced on Monday.

“We have always said that the first 100 teacher appointments will be crucial. We expect the first 100 appointments to be completed by September,” he said.

The university has received the state government’s nod to start the process of recruiting five chair professors.

“We want people who are outstanding scholars in more than one subject and good leaders (for the posts of chair professor). For this, just publishing an advertisement may not be enough. We have to reach out to people of such calibre. We are discussing the process of their appointment,” said Bose.

The mentor group chairperson said he would request the government to release the teachers of the erstwhile Presidency College who will not continue at the university only at the end of an academic year or a semester. “They have served the college for many years and deserve all the respect.”